1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to a transfer machine of the type wherein a transfer bar is reciprocatively moved in a vertical direction and its longitudinal horizontal direction to transfer workpieces carried thereon to a plurality of machining stations one after another.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art:
Known transfer machines include those of a so-called "lift and carry" type wherein a transfer bar which extends in the transfer direction of workpieces performs a series of rise, advance, down and retraction movements so as to transfer workpieces intermittently. A known transfer machine of this type is designed to transfer each workpiece from one machining station to the next, with the workpiece being carried on the transfer bar, and thus, the angular position or posture of each workpiece cannot be changed on the transfer bar.
However, it may be the case that the change in the angular position of the workpiece is required in adaptation for the kind of the workpiece to be machined, the arrangement of a machining unit relative to the workpiece and so forth. In such a case, it has been a practice to provide between two machining stations a position change station having a turn table which is rotatable over a transfer bar within a horizontal plane and to change the angular position of the workpiece by rotating the turn table. Therefore, the known transfer machine so designed gives rise to problems in that such a position change station wherein no machining operation is performed has to be additionally provided, thereby elongating the entire length thereof.